Transforming European defence, sovereignty, and the importance of digital transformation, in focus [Advocacy Lab Content]

4 months ago 19

European sovereignty and the transatlantic alliance, transforming European defence, and the importance of digital transformation, took centre stage on day two at Eurosatory 2024: The Global Event for Defence and Security in Paris.

Organised in conjunction with RTX, a high-level panel featuring speakers from NATO, the European Commission and industry, looked at the challenges and opportunities for the defence industry base in light of a changing global landscape.

All speakers agreed that as war returns to Europe and the emergence of new threats to the EU and NATO countries arises, EU countries need to strengthen the European defence technological and industrial base and transition towards a “war economy”.

But nailing down the exact industrial model that will ensure armed forces operational efficiency while at the same time reconciling national sovereignty, collaboration, consolidation and joint programs was more difficult.

The conversation focused on the transformation of NATO and European defence, particularly since 2022. Speakers emphasised the European Commission’s role in transforming European defence, the importance of digital transformation, and support for Ukraine.

They also stressed the need for interoperability and interchangeability in defence capabilities and highlighted the EU’s role in addressing shortfalls through financial power and innovation.

Speakers highlighted the importance of cooperative partnerships between regions to address emerging threats and stay ahead of technological advancements in defence.

Massive and all-encompassing

Major General François-Marie Gougeon, Director, Policy & Capabilities for the International Military Staff at NATO HQ, outlined the transformation that NATO has undergone since 2014, and more particularly since 2022. NATO has embarked on the most significant transformation of its defence system since the end of the Cold War, possibly even since the early 1950s, he said.

“It’s massive and it’s also all-encompassing. It covers, of course, military plans, and operational plans, but also it has direct consequences on the force models of individual allies. It covers national plans, it covers decision making and the decision-making process, all the way from the tactical level up to the strategic and political level. It also covers the capability mix that allies are expected to steer towards. It also includes the new domains of warfare like outer space, or the cyber domain,” he explained.

“But [all this is] clearly based on political decisions with a direct feed into operational plans. The consequence of this situation now in terms of risk ownership, is that the failure for one nation to meet its commitment means that it is sharing or transferring that risk. So, you will understand that the political landscape and the political pressure for each individual ally to deliver on its commitment to NATO defence planning is much higher than it used to be,” added Gougeon

“What NATO does, and is more and more involved in, is making sure that interoperability is promoted across the alliance between all eyes and that standards are developed and supported and adhered to,” said Gougeon.

European Defence Fund

Guillaume Galtier, DG Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), European Commission, pointed out that as little as five years ago the Commission was not at all involved in defence. But for obvious reasons, that has changed and today the European Defence Fund is up and running.

“To give some order of magnitude, we are talking about investing in the European defence industry, roughly €1 billion every year, to support collaborative research and development projects that are targeting those critical capabilities that member states need, including in terms of meeting their NATO commitments,” he continued.

“This is really a game changer in the way we approach the role of the Commission. Of course, the Commission does that within its remit, which means that it’s from the industry competitiveness angle – we’re not a defence player beyond that, I would say,” he clarified.

Christophe Fontaine, Vice President of Strategic Concept and Capabilities Development, General Atomics Aeronautical, was keen to stress the importance of the transatlantic angle. He reiterated that NATO remains the chosen collective defence organisation by most European countries as part of the Lisbon Treaty which implies close relationship with the US industry.

Interoperability and Interchangeability

One key area where Fontaine saw room for improvement is in innovation. “The philosophy of my company, and in the US in general, is that it’s all about being ahead of the requirements. Do not wait for the customer to tell you what to do, but really try to ensure that you develop by investing on your own,” he said. But he added, “interoperability and interchangeability” should not just be buzzwords. Early cooperation between US and EU industries is essential, especially in the current times.

Etienne Gomez, Vice President of Europe Customer and Account Management, Collins Aerospace – responsible for business development for the Southern Europe region – agreed. “We are a US-based company even though I would say our DNA has been transatlantic for more than 100 years. We’ve been operating in Europe for four decades with more than 24,000 employees in Europe, including design, development, production and servicing capabilities. So, we feel ourselves as a true transatlantic player,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated that we cannot afford to split our efforts. We need everyone’s [help]. We need the US. We need the UK. We need Europe. We need all of our partners to help with that war. That’s the first point on capacity. [Second] our investments in the past decades, led to the situation where we cannot ignore any resource. There is a very rapid pace of innovation in defence these days.”

Gomez added: “We are seeing that there are new threats every day. And we can anticipate that next year, and in the following years, there will also be new threats that we can barely imagine today. So, we have to be super innovative. Therefore, we have to join forces for financial reasons – this is obvious. But we must also join forces for human resources. I think no one has the ability to do [what we want to do] in terms of developing capabilities, alone.”

Edited by Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]